Latest news with #TenMinuteRuleBill
BBC News
26-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
West Bromwich MP calls for review into 'ghost' car number plates
An MP is calling for a crackdown on "ghost" number plates she says some in the West Midlands are using to get away with dangerous known as stealth plates, the registrations have a reflective coating to ensure they cannot be read by police cameras. Labour MP for West Bromwich Sarah Coombes wants fines of up to £1,000 and six-point penalties for drivers who use them to evade the said: "The drivers using these ghost plates have gone under the radar for too long, but now they've been rumbled and it's time to crack down on them." On Wednesday, she introduced the issue under a Ten Minute Rule Bill, which allows backbench MPs to make their case for a new bill within the set who has been campaigning on road safety since her election in July 2024, said 1,000 people were killed or seriously injured on roads in the West Midlands each year."There are a select minority of people who think they are above the law and that by using a ghost plate they can get away with running red lights, drink-driving, speeding and much worse," Coombes said."It cannot be right that these drivers are not facing the consequences of their actions and are creating so much danger for everyone else."During the reading, she said the plates were "widely known" on social media and could be purchased for as little as £ added the current fine of £100 for drivers caught using them was too lenient."That's less than you get for a speeding ticket," Ms Coombes said. "So for those who want to drive recklessly around our roads or commit even worse crimes, why wouldn't you when the penalty is so small?" Coombes asked the government to consider the bill, which will go to a second reading on 7 March, in its road safety strategy.A government spokesperson said it was committed to reducing the number of people killed and injured on the roads and was working on the first new road safety strategy in a decade.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Community-owned solar farm plan a step closer
A village group is looking for investors after its plan to build a solar farm were approved. Residents in Humshaugh, near Hexham, have been granted planning permission to install about 2,000 solar panels to generate energy for the community. They received the support of Hexham MP Joe Morris, who brought a bill to Parliament in January asking the energy secretary to conduct a review of help available to community energy projects. David Still, a member of Humshaugh Net Zero, said villagers wanted to "use our land to create our energy". "This project here will generate about half of the electricity we currently use in the village," Mr Still said. Planning permission for the farm was granted by Northumberland County Council. Nick Hayward of the net zero group, said the fund had so far received £100,000 in pledges. "The profits from selling the electricity will go into a community fund," he said. "We're going to use it to give grants to residents in the parish to adopt low-carbon technologies like solar panels and electric vehicle chargers." In January Morris highlighted the efforts of the village group in Parliament as part of a Ten Minute Rule Bill. He asked the energy secretary to review the potential of community energy plans and provide more support. "It's about making sure we can decentralise our power supply and our decision making. "This is so local communities like Humshaugh with genuine community buy-in, can get the infrastructure in place so they can get producing energy locally," Morris said. "This could have a potentially transformative effect on communities. "We need to make sure we have a system which encourages community energy rather than stall it, which I think has been the case for too long." BBC Politics North is at 10:00 GMT on Sunday and on BBCiPlayer. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here. Solar farm landowners urged to put 'community above profit' Community-owned solar farm plan approved Humshaugh Net Zero BBC Parliament: Community Energy Debate
BBC News
08-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Humshaugh village community solar farm gets backing
A village group is looking for investors after its plan to build a solar farm were in Humshaugh, near Hexham, have been granted planning permission to install about 2,000 solar panels to generate energy for the community. They received the support of Hexham MP Joe Morris, who brought a bill to Parliament in January asking the energy secretary to conduct a review of help available to community energy projects. David Still, a member of Humshaugh Net Zero, said villagers wanted to "use our land to create our energy". "This project here will generate about half of the electricity we currently use in the village," Mr Still permission for the farm was granted by Northumberland County Council. Nick Hayward of the net zero group, said the fund had so far received £100,000 in pledges. "The profits from selling the electricity will go into a community fund," he said."We're going to use it to give grants to residents in the parish to adopt low-carbon technologies like solar panels and electric vehicle chargers." In January Morris highlighted the efforts of the village group in Parliament as part of a Ten Minute Rule Bill. He asked the energy secretary to review the potential of community energy plans and provide more support. "It's about making sure we can decentralise our power supply and our decision making."This is so local communities like Humshaugh with genuine community buy-in, can get the infrastructure in place so they can get producing energy locally," Morris said."This could have a potentially transformative effect on communities."We need to make sure we have a system which encourages community energy rather than stall it, which I think has been the case for too long." BBC Politics North is at 10:00 GMT on Sunday and on BBCiPlayer. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
Sky News
04-02-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Tougher laws on unlicensed drivers to be considered after Sky News report
Why you can trust Sky News The government will look to introduce tougher laws on unlicensed drivers as part of its forthcoming road safety strategy, Sky News understands. It comes after Sky News reported on the story of Harry Parker, who was just 14-years-old when he was hit and killed by a car on his way to his Swindon school in November 2022. The driver of the car did not have a licence, insurance, or stop at the scene. But two years after Harry's death, the Crown Prosecution Service told his parents it was dropping the charges. It said: "We examined this case in great detail - including obtaining the advice of a forensic collision expert - and it has become clear that there is not enough evidence to demonstrate that this collision could reasonably have been avoided, and therefore that the driving was careless." His parents' local MP, Will Stone, received permission from the Commons on Tuesday to introduce the Road Traffic (unlicensed drivers) Bill, that he referred to in his speech in the chamber as the "Harry Parker Bill". The bill would make causing death while driving without a licence or insurance a specific criminal offence after previous legislation became effectively redundant. Labour MP Mr Stone made a speech setting out the case for changing the law in parliament on Tuesday as part of a Ten Minute Rule Bill - a motion to seek MPs' permission to introduce a bill to make the case for a new law. "The law in its current form is failing," he said. "A person who does not hold a valid license has no business being behind the wheel of a car. And when they do so, they put lives at risk. "I cannot bring back Harry, nor can I give Adam and Kelly the justice that they deserve. No legislation, no speech, no court ruling will ever be able to ease their pain. What we must do is ensure that no other family has to endure what they have been through. "The Harry Parker Bill seeks to close the dangerous gaps in our legal system and impose real world consequences on those who choose to drive without a license. Those who choose to drive without a valid license will be deemed careless." MPs voted to progress the bill to be debated as part of the next stage of the parliamentary process. It is rare for a backbench Ten Minute Rule Bill to become legislation. But Sky News now understands the government is going to adopt the Harry Parker Bill as part of its forthcoming new Road Safety Strategy. Harry's parents, Adam and Kelly Parker, travelled to Westminster to watch the Ten Minute Rule Bill from the public gallery. "It was a bit surreal," said Mr Parker. "When he actually read it out I just started crying, I welled up. It made it very, very real, how far we're actually taking this, and it showed that people are actually really listening. It's comforting." There is no current national data on the number of unlicensed drivers, though past research by the Department for Transport estimated they commit 9.3% - or nearly 1 in 10 - of all motoring offences. It was thought there could be as many as 470,000 on the roads. In 2006, the Labour government introduced a new offence of causing death while driving without a licence or insurance, punishable by up to two years in prison. But in 2013 the Supreme Court ruled that, due to the way the legislation was worded, prosecutors still had to prove the driving was at fault - thus rendering the new law fairly redundant, as a driver could then be charged by careless or dangerous driving. The judges were concerned about otherwise faultless unlicensed drivers being charged if a drunk pedestrian fell into the road in front of them, or if someone attempted suicide by jumping out into the road. The Department of Transport said: "Every death on our roads is a tragedy and our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Harry Parker.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tougher laws on unlicensed drivers to be considered after Sky News report
The government will look to introduce tougher laws on unlicensed drivers as part of its forthcoming road safety strategy, Sky News understands. It comes after , who was just 14-years-old when he was hit and killed by a car on his way to his Swindon school in November 2022. The driver of the car did not have a licence, insurance, or stop at the two years after Harry's death, the Crown Prosecution Service told his parents it was dropping the charges. It said: "We examined this case in great detail - including obtaining the advice of a forensic collision expert - and it has become clear that there is not enough evidence to demonstrate that this collision could reasonably have been avoided, and therefore that the driving was careless." His parents' local MP, Will Stone, received permission from the Commons on Tuesday to introduce the Road Traffic (unlicensed drivers) Bill, that he referred to in his speech in the chamber as the "Harry Parker Bill". The bill would make causing death while driving without a licence or insurance a specific criminal offence after previous legislation became effectively redundant. Labour MP Mr Stone made a speech setting out the case for changing the law in parliament on Tuesday as part of a Ten Minute Rule Bill - a motion to seek MPs' permission to introduce a bill to make the case for a new law. "The law in its current form is failing," he said. "A person who does not hold a valid license has no business being behind the wheel of a car. And when they do so, they put lives at risk. "I cannot bring back Harry, nor can I give Adam and Kelly the justice that they deserve. No legislation, no speech, no court ruling will ever be able to ease their pain. What we must do is ensure that no other family has to endure what they have been through. "The Harry Parker Bill seeks to close the dangerous gaps in our legal system and impose real world consequences on those who choose to drive without a license. Those who choose to drive without a valid license will be deemed careless." MPs voted to progress the bill to be debated as part of the next stage of the parliamentary process. It is rare for a backbench Ten Minute Rule Bill to become legislation. But Sky News now understands the government is going to adopt the Harry Parker Bill as part of its forthcoming new Road Safety Strategy. Harry's parents, Adam and Kelly Parker, travelled to Westminster to watch the Ten Minute Rule Bill from the public gallery. "It was a bit surreal," said Mr Parker. "When he actually read it out I just started crying, I welled up. It made it very, very real, how far we're actually taking this, and it showed that people are actually really listening. It's comforting." There is no current national data on the number of unlicensed drivers, though past research by the Department for Transport estimated they commit 9.3% - or nearly 1 in 10 - of all motoring offences. It was thought there could be as many as 470,000 on the roads. In 2006, the Labour government introduced a new offence of causing death while driving without a licence or insurance, punishable by up to two years in prison. But in 2013 the Supreme Court ruled that, due to the way the legislation was worded, prosecutors still had to prove the driving was at fault - thus rendering the new law fairly redundant, as a driver could then be charged by careless or dangerous driving. The judges were concerned about otherwise faultless unlicensed drivers being charged if a drunk pedestrian fell into the road in front of them, or if someone attempted suicide by jumping out into the road. The Department of Transport said: "Every death on our roads is a tragedy and our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Harry Parker. "The government takes road safety seriously, and we are committed to reducing the number of those killed and injured on our roads."
